


let me drink of your tides

by likewinning



Series: even if we call it madness later [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Restaurant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 08:43:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8321332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likewinning/pseuds/likewinning
Summary: It's bad enough he's here taking up Bruce's space at all.





	

Jason wakes up to the smell of fresh coffee and breakfast food. When he steps into the kitchen, Bruce is already sitting at the island in the middle, reading the paper while his breakfast cools down. Morning light pours in through the windows and Jason just stands there for a minute before Bruce looks up at him over his paper.

"Good morning," Bruce says. "Did you sleep all right?"

"Sure," Jason says. Last night was his first on Bruce's couch, after Dick found out he'd been squatting in some run-down apartment in Crime Alley, after Dick dropped him off here and said, "I'd keep him, but I've already got Harper sleeping on _my_ couch."

After Dick left, Jason offered to go, but Bruce just told him not to be stupid, that there was plenty of room here, and he let Jason help with dinner before he showed him where he could sleep.

Bruce stands up, moves around the kitchen, fixes Jason a plate of food and pours him a glass of orange juice. "Thanks," Jason says and Bruce nods and returns to his paper. Jason tries to eat slowly, tries to savor each bite of homemade blueberry waffle, but everything tastes too good and he finishes in minutes.

"I can make you more, if you like," Bruce comments, and Jason feels himself blush. It's bad enough he's here taking up Bruce's space at all, but – "Or I can teach you how," Bruce offers, and before Jason can think better of it he says, "That would be cool."

Neither of them has to work until later that day, so they spend most of the morning in the kitchen, getting every surface covered in flour and sugar and baking soda while Bruce teaches Jason how to make one thing after another.

"Some people say it's all a bit like science," Bruce says. "But for me it's more instinct than anything. It makes a lot of our cooks crazy when they first start, because I don't write recipes down properly."

Jason's heard the stories, cooks who quit because they'd had enough of Bruce's _a dash of this, a little of that_ approach to things. Jason kind of likes it, though; it gives everything a personal touch.

They sit at the counter again while they wait for a batch of cookies to finish baking. Jason keeps finding cinnamon sugar under his nails, between his fingers. Bruce chuckles when Jason shakes some of it out of his hair.

"Bruce," Jason says. "I know you promised Dick and all, but I really don't need to stay here. I do okay on my own."

Bruce looks at him a while, leans his head on his hand. "I'm sure you do," Bruce says finally. "But that doesn't mean you should have to."

Jason isn't sure whether to laugh or cry, but he doesn't have to decide because the oven beeps and he goes to grab the cookies. They look perfect, and they smell even better. "Look at that," Jason tells Bruce. "I'm _totally_ going to upstage you at the restaurant, just fuckin' wait."

Bruce comes over to look, and maybe it's just because he stands so close, maybe it's the way he smells like vanilla extract and aftershave, maybe it's because Jason's lonely as hell and Bruce has been so nice to him, but Jason turns until his chest is pressed against Bruce, stands on his tiptoes and kisses him.

For a couple of seconds, Bruce lets him. His mouth is warm against his, and Jason feels the scratch of stubble, tastes the coffee Bruce has been drinking all afternoon. Then Bruce makes a soft sound against him and pulls away, takes a step back.

"No," Bruce says. "Jason, that's not…"

"Okay," Jason says. He swallows down his disappointment, switches gears and takes a bite of one of the cookies instead, burning his tongue in the process. After they clean up the kitchen, Jason can still feel Bruce's mouth on his.


End file.
